The Current Climate:  The value of accreditation is under significant scrutiny of late. A recent article by Michael Stafford in Inside Higher Ed (20 October 2015) points out the challenges that the accreditation industry faces. While the article primarily addresses institutional accreditation agencies, there are several take-away items. Among the concerns is passing along or "green-lighting too many poor-performing colleges and universities." In addition, the cost of higher education continues to take a front seat in the discussions, as well as student completion rates, job placement rates, and other student outcomes. It seems that the perception of over-regulation and the placement of undue burden by institutional accreditors is taking front stage.

 

From a CAAHEP perspective, the climate further emphasizes that each of our Committees on Accreditation (CoAs) should continue to focus their efforts on student outcomes, including competencies for practice (knowledge, skills and abilities), retention rates, job placement, credentialing exam pass rates and other meaningful measures.

 

One thing our CoAs can do to assist CAAHEP in this process is to ensure that all programs are publishing at least one outcome measure. (See the related article by Kathy Megivern.) Sooner or later (more likely sooner rather than later), the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) will be spot-checking for compliance. Anything our CoAs can do to ensure compliance is very helpful for all of us. Please let us know if we can assist in some way. CoAs should understand that with the change in the Standards that was enacted last January, failure of a program to make readily available at least one outcome is a Standards violation and should be a citation when a program is reviewed.

 

I recently attended the fall ASPA meeting in Washington, DC. The meeting included some very thoughtful discussion on some of the challenges facing academic programs. A panel of legislative aides offered insights into some of the issues facing higher education. Among the key topics are: cost of higher education, student loan debt and repayment, transferability of credits to other institutions or graduate school, and college safety and harassment.

 

Also among the issues was the Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA). The Panel discussed the key principles including: 1) the empowerment of students and families in making informed decisions regarding college by ensuring greater transparency with regard to cost and educational outcomes; 2) simplifying and streamlining financial aid options; 3) renovation and access to learning including competency based education; and 4) ensuring accountability with a greater focus on outcomes and less on inputs.

 

CAAHEP Representing You: Finally, in an effort to add CAAHEP's voice to the challenges faced by the "state authorization" laws, CAAHEP added its support to a letter from ASAHP, among other organizations, to the chairs and ranking members of the Senate and House Committees that will deal with Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Many of the existing state authorization laws require registration (and in some cases large fees) when a student is placed in their state for an internship. These laws significantly impact the ability of programs to place students across state lines in field placement, as well as limiting the availability of distance education programs. We will continue to advocate through educational means for all of CAAHEP's stakeholders as public policy issues such as this one impact the business of quality education in allied health.

 

We look forward to the coming year and to the success of each of our Committees on Accreditation.

 

Keep reading, send us notes when you find something of interest to our stakeholders, draft a note for the CAAHEP blog , or give us a shout if we can be of assistance.